About Balmule House

Rarely will you ever find a building with such a rich heritage. Nor will you often see a home with such quality and comfort built into every last detail. To find both in one home is simply unheard of.

Balmule House has roots – and features – that stretch back for over 500 years, yet it also has an interior designed and crafted with every modern convenience. So, while the solid stone walls of this Fife tower house hold the history of every past resident, this is no museum piece.

Over the years, and from one generation to the next, every owner has added their own personality and personal touches to the character of the building, thereby writing their own chapter in the story of Balmule.

Once, Balmule stood to protect its owners against 15th century hostility. As centuries passed by, new owners gave the house new form and function – each adding their own personality and their own history.

It was built for one of Fife’s most prominent families – the Wardlaws, who had been members of King Malcolm’s court in the 12th century and had played a key role in establishing St Andrews University in the 15th century.

Balmule House was passed through the generations before being sold on as the Wardlaws’ fortunes faded.

James Alexander, who bought the house in 1837, was no doubt grateful for the stout walls when cloth workers from Dunfermline marched on the house, rioted and started a fire that would have destroyed a building of lesser construction. That didn’t stop him making his own alterations, and he added two new wings either side of the original tower – giving the house a shape much closer to the one we see today.

Since the Alexander family sold the house in 1950, the house has had several owners, from a textiles manufacturing company to the lead singer of the rock band Big Country, who used one of the outbuildings as a recording studio.

Today’s owner has brought the house into the 21st century with a programme of renovation work that highlights many of the original features whilst incorporating the modern technology, high-quality finish and unrivalled luxury you would expect from an elegant country house